Machine for folding sheet material



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1,507,31 C. L. LEE

MACHINE FOR FOLDING SHEET MATERIAL Filed June 20, 1921 a. sheets-shega l ZZZZZZYEEEEE :15 UFTYEE/ Sept, 2. 1924. 150mm C. L. LEE

MACHINE FOR FOLDING SHEET MATERIAL Filed June 20. 1921 18 sheets-swa Se t. 2, 1924. 1,507,318 I C. L. LEE

MACHINE FOR FOLDING SHEET MATERIAL Filed June 20. 1921 18 Sheets-Sheet i amoeba;

$ept. 2, 1924. 1,507,318 C. L. LEE

MACHINE FOR FOLDING SHEET MATERIAL Filed June 20, 1921 18 Sheets-Shut 5 I 4% o O a ,V- I! O o Q o Fig.5 Z

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C. L. LEE

MACHINE FOR FOLDING SHEET MATERIAL Filed June 20. 1921 18 Sheets-Sheet 6 Sept. 2. 1924: 1,507,318

' C. L. LEE

momma FOR FOLDING 5mm MATERIAL 1a sheets-sheet Filed June 20. 1921 F j 56H 61 25 a I i a s30- 3% s26 w 3P8 g a 7 E 1 s92 I M 3 v 33/ 61% 632 r 63/ ZZHEE'EEE' HUEHZm' of #W/ Z J? M flfi'fiffi y Sept. 2, 1924. 1,507,318

C. L. LEE

MACHINE FOR FOLDING SHEET MATERIAL Filed June 20, 1921 18 Sheets-Sheet 8 log me m? I j zrezzzbr- JZ JfiTE ETETEj I 6M1. 2

Sept. 2 1924. 1,507,318,.

. c. L. LEE

MACHINE FOR FOLDING SHEET MATERIAL Filed June 20, 1921 1a Sheets- Shoot 9 Sept. 2, 1924.

C. L. LEE

MACHINE FOR FOLDING SHEET MATERIAL Filed June 20, 1921 18 Sheets-Sheet 1 f2: Z7517 20f 5M 0!. lie,

Sept 2 1924. 1,507,318-

C. L. LEE

IAGHINI FOR FOLDING SHEET MQTERIAL Filed June 20. 1921 18 Sheets-Shut 1 Sept. 2, 1924.

c. L. LEE

MACHINE FOR FOLDING SHEET MATERIAL a sheets-sum 1;

Filed June 20. 1921 l QQOw Sept. 2. 1924.

C. L. LEE

MACHINE FOR FOLDING SHEET MATERIAL Filed June 20, 1921 18 Sheets-Shut 15 ,1 z 1,507,318 Sept 2 9 4 C. L. LEE

MACHINE FOR FOLDING SHEET MATERIAL Filed June 20. 1921 18 Sheets-Shut E g /606 E I ll QXQ 1|:

lLq- 34 [12mm fuzz 5127f I JAAM- E p Sept. 2 1924.

. v c. L. LEE

MACHINE FOR FOLDING SHEET WTERIAL Filed June 20, 1921 18 Sheets-Shoot Qxn m QM, yoh m omh n 1. 3 u -I Se t. 2 1924. 9 c. L. LEE

FOR FOLDING salm' MATERIAL MACHINE 18 Sheets-Shut 1 Filed June 20. 1921 Patented Sept. 2, 1924,.

UNITED STATES CHARLES L. LEE, OF DAYTON, OHIO, AS

SIGNO'R TO GENERAL MOTORS RESEARCH CORPORATION, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A. CORPORATION OF DELA'WARE.

MACHINE FOB FOLDING SHEET MATERIAL.

Application filed June 20, 1921. Serial No. 478,793.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, CHAnLns L. LEE, citizen of the United States of America, residing at Dayton, county of Montgomery, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Folding Sheet Material, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The present invention relates to machines 1 for folding sheet material and in its preferred form of embodiment, which has been chosen for the purpose of description and illustration, relates more particularly to a machine for folding sheet metal in a form suitable for cooling fins to be applied to the cylinders of internal-combustion engines and also suitable for various other purposes.

Among the objects of the invention are to fold such metal from a continuous strip so that the fold or convolutions are of predetermined size and uniformly spaced, and, if desired, to cut the material in lengths suitable for the purpose for which it is folded.

Another object is the control of such a machine in a simple and e llioient manner.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein preferred forms of embodiments of the present invention are clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. i is a side view, more or less diagrammatic, showing the means which cooperate to cause the formation of the folds, and showing the fold material in various stages.

Fig. 2 is a side view, partly in section and partly in elevation. of the machine as a whole, showing particularly the cooperation of the various mechanisms.

Fig 2% is a front view of the machine partiy in section and partly in elevation.

Fig. 4: a view in perspective of the motor drive showing the oil pump for the system and with part of the casing removed.

Fig. 5 is a detail showing the worm shaft.

Fig. 6 isia view, partly in section and 'iartlv in elevation, of the motor drive showing the shaft which cooperates with the worm shaft and the clutch mechanism.

Fig. T is a top view of the matrix oper ating mechanism showing the relation of the various elements to the shaft.

shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 1s a side view of the mechanism shown in Figs. 7 and 8 showing the cooper-= nism showing more particularly the operation thereof by the main drive shaft.

Fig. 13 is a front view of the ram mechanism.

Fig. 14. is a top view of the toggle joint, a part of the ram mechanism.

Fig. 15 is a side view of the U-shaped member with the rolls secured tl'iereto. a part of the ram mechanism.

Fig. 16 is a side view of means for operating the clamp.

Fig. 17 is a side view of the clamp mechanism.

Fig. 18 is a front view of the clamp mechanisn'i.

19 is a top view of the main drive shaft and the master shaft, showing more particularly the cooperation therewith of the'knife operatin mechanism.

Fig. 20 is a side view of the knife operating mechanism.

Fig. 21 is a side view of the le -shaped member forming a part of the knife operating mechanism.

F lg. 22 is a view from the rear of the machine showing the knife mechanism.

Fig. 23 is a side view of the knife mechanism.

F 24. a front view of the base forming mechanism. I

Fig. 25 is a side view of the base forming mechanism showing more particularly means for its operation.

Fig. 26 is a top view of the timing mechanism showing the operation thereof by the main drive shaft.

Fig. 27 is a top view of one of the movements of the timing mechanism.

Fig. 28 is a side View of the mechanism shown in Fig. 27, showing the relation ther'e main drive Fig. 8 is a front view of the mechanism of to the main drive shaft and the master shaft.

Fig. 29 is a view of means for controlling the size and number of folds and means for varying the contour of a set of folds.

Fig. 3.0 is a side view of the selective mechanism as a .part of the timing mechanism shown in Fig. 26.

Fig. 31 is a front view of the grip mechanism, secured to the ram as shown in Figs.

' c 12 and 13 and cooperating with the selective i mechanism shown in Fig. 18, showing more particularly means for operating the matrix stops.

Fig. 38 is a side view of the clamp mechanism shown in Fig. 37.

Fig. .39 is a front view of a form of base v forming mechanism with the matrix stops removed.

Fig. 40 1s a side elevation of a series of folds produced by the machine set up as in the present description.

In order to clearly set out the operation of the machine, reference should be had to Fig. 1 which is a more or less diagrammatic fragmentary view of certain parts of the machine illustrating very clearly those elements which act directly upon the sheet material to form folds of a desired shape and size.

In this Fig. 1 the sheet material is indicated at A and is shown as having been formed into a series of folds indicated at B. The material will be supplied from a suitable roll which in the present form of machine is supported by some exterior roll holder (not shown) and is fed from the right hand side of this mechanism through guides C, under the grip or clamp D, under the head of the ram' E, and, as indicated, over the apron or platform F.

hen the machine is in operation, the matrix H occupies the position shown in this figure, being secured in place against the top plate G by means of the clamp K, and as the ram moves over the apron F towards matrix H, the grips upon the ram fasten to the sheet material and cause it to buckle between the face of the ram and the. matrix H whereupon the base forming element M is lifted from the position shown to allow the small bead N to project up above the upper plane of the apron F and come between the matrix H and the face of the ram, in order to form the base or bottom portion of the fold. By the time the base formingelement M has been lifted into position, the face of the ing element M drops to the position illustrated. The ram then moves forward to complete the forming of the fold, after which it returns :to its original or outermost position. tour as the first matrix H, and slides in front of the first matrix and the newly formed fold. Before the second matrix has completed its travel in front of l the first matrix, the clamp K operates :to release this first matrix and these two.

matrices move to the left a distance of the width of a fold, carrying therewith the sheet material and folds. The second matrix then completes its movementin front of the first matrix, occupying the former position of matrix H so. that-the ram may repeat its operation on the material to form another fold.

Then a suitable number of folds have been formed by the several operations just described, the strip is cut by means of a knife illustrated at O.

l Vith these preliminary statements of the operation of the machine, reference should now be had to Figs. 2 to 39. I v

In Fig. 2, the machine is illustrated as carried within a frame or casing 10 which has in its upper part the folding mechanism and controls therefor, while in the lower part is provided a motor and suitable driving connections for driving the mechanism in the upper part of the casing.

The motor drive is illustrated very clearly in Figs. 2 and 4- to 63, inclusive, and con sists of a motor 41 to the armature shaft of which is attached a short worm drive shaft 42 cooperating With a worm wheel 13 which is keyed on shaft 4.4. The latter shaft also carries a drive gear 45 which tlnough a suitable belt or chain 16 drives the mechanism in the upper part of the housing or casing 10. The drive gear 45 is mounted loosely upon the shaft 44;, and has secured thereto, one member 47 of a clutch. The member 17 is adapted to coact with a driving member 18 splined on shaft 41 and movable longitudinally by means of a yoke 19 operated by suitable means such as a. hand lever, as clearly indicated in Fig. 6. Some form of clutch mechanism at this point is desirable since it relieves the motor of heavier starting loads, eliminates frequent starting and stopping of the motor and enables the machine to be adjusted by A second matrix, of the same con moves forward 

